The Coastal North Carolina Market under the Defense Health Agency is now official. On August 25, 2021, a formal establishment ceremony was held for the military medical market which consists of Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune and Naval Health Clinic Cherry Point.
“I am truly honored to be the first Market Director for the Coastal North Carolina Market under the Defense Health Agency,” stated U.S. Navy Captain Reginald Ewing, director of NMCCL. “I am looking forward to this new age in military medicine.”
The Coastal North Carolina Market is on the leading edge of the Military Health System’s historic change. By standing up the Coastal North Carolina Market, DHA enables greater collaboration across military hospitals and clinics strengthening the medical readiness of service members and enabling these facilities to deliver better care and a better patient experience.
DHA Assistant Director, Dr. Brian Lein, was on hand to commemorate the Coastal North Carolina Market’s formal establishment.
"You support a group of Marines, Sailors and families that influences security around the globe," stated Lien in his ceremony remarks. "Today is an acknowledgement of this team of professionals: medical leaders, line leaders, community and VA partners, to the commitment that they made to the well-being of the entire military medical community."
As part of the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act, the Military Health System is transitioning administration and management of all military and hospitals and clinics to DHA. To do so effectively, DHA chose a “market approach,” based on the six Enhanced Multi-Service Markets already in place. Markets are groups of hospitals and clinics working together in a geographic area operating as a system to support the sharing of patients, staff, functions, budget, and more across all market facilities.
“From this point forward Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune and Naval Health Clinic Cherry Point will be a unified power,” said Ewing. “We will share resources, share our personnel, and care for each other’s beneficiaries. Our job is and always will be to care for Marines and Sailors past and present”
The Coastal North Carolina Market serves a population of approximately 170,000 eligible beneficiaries.